Welding and Assembly Sensors
FAW Volkswagen relies on Uprox+ sensors for precise, reliable welding and assembly processes at its automobile production lines in China
The demands placed on the automated production lines of vehicle manufacturers are always on the rise. Purchasers want exclusive, high quality, and individually tailored solutions. New materials, production technologies, and levels of automation require automation solutions to be constantly updated. For welding and assembly processes in its Chinese production plants, FAW-VW found a versatile and reliable solution in the Uprox+ sensors from Turck.
In order to ensure the efficient production of high quality automobiles like VW’s new Sagitar or the Magotan vehicle lines, FAW-VW Automobile Co., Ltd. – a joint venture between the Chinese government-owned First Automotive Works, Germany’s Volkswagen AG, Audi AG and Volkswagen Automobile (China) Investment Co., Ltd. – relies on sensor technology from Turck.
High demands placed on sensors
During the course of the rapid development in the Chinese automobile industry, customer demands have risen with regard to quality, functionality and efficiency. This has led FAW-VW – like all automobile manufacturers in the end – to use new materials and technologies in order to facilitate the flexible production of different vehicle types and models at one location. Equally high were the automobile manufacturer’s requirements with regard to the sensor technology used. In order to be able to detect workpiece positions in the various stages of automated production, such as stamping, painting, welding and final assembly, the sensors have to be robust, versatile, and cost-efficient – requirements that the Factor 1 sensors from the uprox+ product line fully meet.
Factor 1 on all metals
Thanks to multi-spule technology, the sensors designed to meet the IP68 protection class detect all metals without a reduction factor – regardless of whether it is iron, stainless steel, copper, aluminum or brass. Not only that, in comparison to conventional ferrite core sensors, uprox+ made it possible for FAW-VW to detect all metals used in the production lines with considerably higher switching distances up to 50 mm (FAW-VW uses the Ni50U-CK40 series) – thus offering high degrees of freedom for installation and area of application. A further advantage of the Factor 1 sensors that are sold by Turck (Tianjin) Sensor Co., Ltd. (TTS) in China is the fact that with the few sensor types that are suitable for many applications within the production line, the automobile manufacturer was able to set up simple and cost-efficient warehousing.
One of the hardest areas of application in the FAW-VW plants is welding assembly. In the overall production line, the individual parts of the various sedan models run through up to 5,000 spot welding steps. For monitoring the automated motion sequences, FAW-VW relies on the sensors from Turck’s MT series. Mounted on the robot arms, the special sensors coated with teflon continuously check the position of the robotics in relation to the workpieces. In welding assembly, not only high switching distances are required in order to be able to detect the position of the workpieces early on and, if necessary, correct them, but also excellent shielding against external environmental conditions. Because uprox+ sensors do not contain ferrite core, they are equally insensitive to strong magnetic fields, like those that develop during the welding process, as they are to flying sparks or mechanical wear.
- Automobile
- Press Shop – Tool Identification
- Sheet Metal Thickness Measurement
- Body Shop – Welding Nut Detection
- Paint Shop – Skid Identification
- Area Guarding for Robotic Cells
- Final Assembly – Robot Assembly
- Inspection of Tips on a Welder
- Final Assembly – Diagnosis of Leaks
- Tier 1 – Bumper Identification
- Manual Feeding in Weld Cell
- Powertrain – Contactless Verification
- Body Detection in Automobile Production
- Detecting Black Parts on Black Door Panel
- Moonroof Clear Glass Detection
- Long-Range Inspection in Automotive Assembly
- Rubber Washer Detection on Engine Block
- Engine Block Part-In-Place Detection
- Electric Vehicle Detection in Charging Station
- Vehicle Detection in a Self-Serve Car Wash
- SUCCESS STORIES
- RFID Guides AGV in Suspension Production
- IO-Link Wired Silencer Production
- Workpiece Carrier Identification in Rear Vent Production
- Weld Nut Sensing
- RFID Traceability
- RFID in Engine Production
- Bumper Production with Identification
- Solutions for Paint Shops
- Welding and Assembly Sensors
- Angle Sensors for Assembly Systems
- Tool Identification
- RFID Identification of Injector Nozzles
- RFID in the Body Shop
- IO-Link Eases Differential Gear Production
- Pick-to-Light for Bumper Assembly
- RFID and I/O Modules for Safe Tool Changes
- Ply Orientation Inspection
- Chimie
- Detection of Pigs
- Remote Signal I/O
- Easy Connection of Field Devices
- Remote Tank Level Monitoring with DX70
- Signal Processing with System I/O in the Control Cabinet
- Signal Separation with Interface Technology in the Control Cabinet
- Identification of Hose Connections
- Efficient Monitoring of Cabinets in the Field
- Monitoring of Quarter Turn Actuators
- Planning and Assembly of System Solutions
- Success Stories
- I/O System Excom Creates Space in the I&C Rooms
- Zone 2 and 22 RFID
- Efficient Testing Control
- Intrinsically Safe Field Communication
- Process Control System Partnership
- Hazardous Area Remote I/O
- Dual Valve Position Feedback
- Flexibility with Fieldbus
- Asset Management with Remote I/O
- Correct Positioning with RFID in Carbide Production
- Energie
- Agro-alimentaire
- Dough Height Inspection for Accurate Measurement
- Dough Thickness Control in Rolling Machines
- Leading Edge Detection of Plastic Container
- Identification of Food Containers
- Date/Lot Code Verification
- Container Check
- Detection of Valve Position
- Barcode Reading on Depalletizer Station
- Reliable Cap Orientation Verification in Aseptic Areas
- Detection of Pipe Elbows
- Clear and Tipped Bottle Detection on Depalletizer
- Clear Plastic Bottle Detection
- Identification of Chocolate Moulds
- Frozen Food Packaging Label Inspection
- In-Line Bottle Accumulation on Single Filer
- Detecting Refrigerated Breakfast Rolls on a Multi-Lane Conveyor
- Success Stories
- Track and Trace in Meat Production with RFID
- Contact-free Encoder in Potato Production
- UHF RFID in Food Distribution Center
- RFID for Chocolate production
- Distributed I/O for Food Equipment
- Remote I/O for Distilleries
- RFID and Autoclaves
- IP67 Power Supplies for Conveyors
- Transparency in Chocolate Manufacturing
- Identification in Food Product Storage
- Equipement Mobile
- Distribution Lines for Field Sprayers
- Loading Dock Occupancy Monitoring
- Measuring the Ground Clearance on a Field Sprayer
- Monitoring Railcars Wheels Wirelessly
- Reach Stacker Status With Bright Lighting Indicators
- Angle Measurement on a Field Sprayer
- Determining the Boom Angle Position
- Material Flow Monitoring on a Combine Harvester
- Vehicle at Loading Dock
- Equipment Compartment Illumination on Fire Engines
- Wireless Forklift Signaling
- Two-Axis Tilt Measurement on a Combine Harvester
- Success Stories
- Position Measurement with RFID and Encoder
- Speed Control via Radar Sensor QT50
- RFID Guides AGV in Suspension Production
- Block I/O Modules on Super Yacht
- Wear-free Encoder on Hopper Dredger
- I/O for Dust Suppression
- Cabinet Cooling
- Quick Disconnect Connectivity
- Automation Solutions for Extreme Cold
- Remote I/O for Cranes
- Rugged Heavy Metal Lifting
- Rollercoaster Positioning
- Mobile Machinery Solutions
- Exact Height Positioning
- Critical Angle Sensing
- Angle Sensor Detects Platform Lift
- Predictive Maintenance of Machine Parts at Port-Based Coal Conveying Facility
- Pétrole et Gaz
- Emballage
- Identification of Printing Color Cartridges
- Reliable Operation of Machines
- Monitoring of Caps in Filling Lines
- Monitoring Changeover Processes
- Identification of Test Bottles
- Level Monitoring of Ground Coffee
- Box Insert Detection
- Carton Dimensioning
- Clear Container Detection
- Correct Label Verification
- Detecting Different Size Packages on a Conveyor
- High-Speed 2D Barcode Inspection
- Multicolored Reflective Package Detection
- Plastic Roll Diameter Measurement
- Tube Positioning Using a Registration Mark
- Vertical Form Fill Seal Machine Solutions
- Success Stories
- Pharma
- Monitoring of Quarter Turn Actuators
- Detection of Pipe Elbows
- High-Speed Tablet Counting With Fiber Amplifier
- Remote Signal I/O
- Planning and Construction of Super Skids
- I.V. Bag Liquid Detection
- Easy Connection of Field Devices
- Identification of Portable Tanks
- Identification of Cryovessels
- Identification of Mobile Containers
- Liquid Level Monitoring In A Large Tank
- Identification of Mobile Containers with Handheld Devices
- Identification of Hose Connections for Precursors
- Identification of Hose Connections in Sterile Areas
- Identification of Hose Connections in Ex Zone 1
- Identification of Big Bags and Bioreactors
- Identification of Single-Use Applications
- Semi-conducteur